This page gets you started with research for a history assignment. Here you will find general information on finding and using journal articles and books.
For resources specific to a particular course look at these pages in this guide: 1) African American History (HIST 2060), 2) Tennessee History (HIST 2030), 3) United States History (HIST 2010& HIST 2020), and 4) World History (HIST 2310 & HIST 2320).
Multidisciplinary Databases
These databases can be used by students and faculty in any subject area. They contain information on a wide variety of topics!
- Academic OneFile (Gale) This link opens in a new windowJournals and magazines. Multidisciplinary.
NOTE: Access limited by IP to users located in Tennessee
Resource provided by Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL)
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowJournals archive: Arts & Sciences I, II, III, IV, V, VII, XI and the Life Sciences collections. eBooks: Open Books Access collection
- ProQuest Research Library This link opens in a new windowGeneral interest periodical database. Journals available.
For additional resources, click here!
Ebooks
- eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new windowe-books on a variety of academic subjects from leading academic publishers and university presses. Collection is primarily monographs but includes some reference titles.
- Ebooks (Gale) - TEL Collection This link opens in a new windowReference book collection. Suitable for general audience. Gale Virtual Reference
NOTE: Access limited by IP to users located in Tennessee
Resource provided by Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL) - OverDrive eBooks (Libby app) This link opens in a new windowCollection of eBooks available for checkout and downloading.
Sign in to OverDrive with your Vol State username and password to borrow an eBook. To read books on your mobile device download the Libby app. NOTE: The OverDrive mobile app has been replaced by the Libby mobile app.
Streaming Media
- Academic Video Online: Premium This link opens in a new windowStreaming video collection. Multidisciplinary collection includes films from Sony Picture Classics, A&E Television Network programs, and thousands more videos from reputable and well known publishers.
Search for a video. Browse collection by video title list, by discipline or by producer.
Closed-captioned with transcripts. - Films on Demand This link opens in a new windowStreaming video collection. Master Academic Video Collection includes Ken Burns' documentaries, newsreels, TED talks, and programs from BBC, PBS, History Education, HBO, and many more producers of quality programs.
Closed-captioned with transcripts
Journal articles
Professionals publish their research in journals to share it with other professionals in their field. Journal articles use the scholarly language of their discipline or field of study. The article will provide verifiable evidence to support the research, i.e. references.
Use articles from scholarly journals for your history research project. A scholarly journal is also referred to as an academic or peer-reviewed journal.
CAUTION When a journal article is required as a source for your research project your professor typically means a research article. Be aware that journals also include articles like brief reports, comments on previously published articles, book reviews, obituaries, and letters to the editor.
- Anatomy of a Scholarly Article Learn the clues to identifying a scholarly article. Created by NCSU Libraries.
Find articles from journals in the library's databases.
- Use full-text articles; abstracts are not acceptable sources.
- Limit your search to "articles" in the database's advanced search to eliminate other article types.
These databases are the recommended resources to begin a search for history articles:
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowUse advanced search: 1) limit the item type to articles, 2) select date range, and 3) narrow to a specific discipline.
- ProQuest Research Library This link opens in a new windowFor best results in history research limit your search to "scholarly journals"
Books
Books are an excellent information source for most history research assignments. Use reference books to learn about your topics or related topics before searching for journal articles.
The library has both physical and eBooks on a variety of history events and historical topics.
Use Pioneer Search - In the Library to find books on the shelves of Thigpen Library in Gallatin. Books from Thigpen Library can be sent to other campus libraries.
Find eBooks by searching our eBook collection (EBSCOhost).
- Pioneer Search - In the Library Search by author, title, or subject for print books available in Thigpen Library.
- eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new windowSearch for an eBook on your history topic
Unlike journal articles and monographs*, reference books do not provide analysis or interpretation. These books provide facts. An encyclopedia is an example of a reference book. Wikipedia is an online reference source.
Use reference books to learn about your topics or related topics before searching for journal articles. Use the library's online reference collection Credo Reference to learn about an historical event, time period, or person.
* A monograph is a "book which is a detailed study of only one subject." SOURCE: Collins Dictionary.com. One subject could mean a book on the Civil Rights movement in the United States from 1950 to 1965 or a book on Cesar Chavez's work as an activist for farm workers.
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new window Online reference collection of subject encyclopedias, handbooks, and guides,that cover over 80 major subject disciplines. Entries include visual aids, images, photographs and maps. Use the Credo collection for background research and discover key concepts and a mind map on your topic.
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Director of Library Services and Learning Resources
This guide recommends library resources, digital archives, and websites relevant to the topics taught in History courses at Vol State. The recommended resources are credible and suitable for academic assignments but these resources may not meet the criteria for your assignment.
Ask a librarian for help using these resources or finding additional resources. Ask your professor if a particular information source is appropriate for the assignment.
Images used on this guide are 1) available on the public domain, 2) created from a licensed resource, and/or 3) licensed under a Creative Commons license and used according to the terms in the license.